Bottle-stopping device



G. S. NORRIS. BOTTLE STOPPING DEVICE.

No 257,746 Patented May 9, 1882.

Int/M74 n, PETERS. Mlo-Ufhognpher, Wuhl UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. NORRIS, OE BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BOTTLE-STOPPING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters? Patent No. 257,746, dated May 9, 1882.

Application filed February 16, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE S. Norms, a

- citizen of the United States, residingat Baltisaid bottle, and atthe other end by means of a branch or extension projecting upward from saidtband; and the objects of my improvements are, first, to provide a rubber plug with a collar in the middle ot'its length, and capable of being reversed and either end inserted in the mouth of a bottle; second, to combine with said plug a cap provided with a shank passing therethrongh, and also with ears on two sides thereof, a link permanently secured to one of the ears, and a wire lever adapted to enter said link and transferitinto engagement with the under side of the neck-band.

Heretol'ore rubberplugs have been made witha collar to restupon the edge of a bottlemouth, whileits l0wer portion enters within. They have also been made with a central collar and projectionabove andbelow of uneven size, and .thusNnot, reversible. Neck bands have also been made oftwisted wire having-a horizontal loopon one side to receive a lever pivoted thereto, and said lever has been made torcmai'n in engagement with a link pendent from the stoppercap whilethe bottleis closed; but these parts differ from mine in many particulars. i

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawings, and then pointed out in the claims. i

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the bottle-stoppingdevice secured over a bottle-mouth. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 represent, respectively in perspective and vertical section, the stopper-plug detached from its fastenings. Fig. 5 represents: in perspective the wire lever detached from the neckband.

In said drawings, A represents the neck of a bottle, B the rubber plug, and O the metal cap placed upon the plug B, and connected therewith by the shank 0 thereof passing through its axis. i

The plug B is of peculiar construction. It is provided with a collar, 1), surrounding it in the middle of its length, a head, 1), upon which the metal capcan rest, and a neck, b adapted to enter the mouth of a bottle.

The head b and the neck I) are of identical form and size when first molded, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so that either one can take the placeot the other when the plug is secured to its cap. The plug is thus reversible, and the form given thereto contributes materially in improving the results obtained from a rubber stopper.

Although rubber is a vcryelastic substance it is well known that when retained compressed for some time its form will become more or less set and lose the form first given thereto when molded. By making the rubber plug reversible end for end this defect is remedied, the change being made once or twice a year,

or when the rubber has lost so much of its original form as to be partly inelfective as a stopper. i

-lt is clearly shown in Fig. 2 that under pressure the lower end of the plug inserted in the bottle is reduced in diameter, while the upper end'or head partly bulges out, and thus acquires strength against circular compression, to which it will be subjected it the plug is afterward turned end for end and its head is madcto enter the neck of the bottle.

This stopper-plug is preferably conicall'y rccesscd at each end at I) to facilitate theinsertion thereof in the neck of the bottle, and also to permit said plug to retain its effectiveness more readily by providingroom for the arrangement of its central molecules, as the plug cannot expand laterally in the neck of the bottle.

The plug is also provided with an axial opening, b for the passage of the metal cap-shank c, the latter being formed with an enlarged end or button, 0, capable of passing under pressure through the opening b ,"but of such size as to retain the plug securely connected to its cap. This cap 0 is in the form of a disk provided with two perforated cars, 0 to re ceive one end of the link and one end of the neck-band, branch, or extension that unites it to the band E, encircling the neck of the bottle. This band is shown as made of a piece of wire so bent as to form a nearly rectangular but substantially horizontal loop, 0, on one side of the bottle-neck, while upon the other side said wire is twisted to form a branch or cable, 6, extending up nearly even with the mouth of the bottle. This branch has its upper end looped, and engages with one of the ears 0 of the stopper-cap, while to the opposite ear the linkfispermanentlysecured. The lower loop of this linkfis made of such width as to readily pass over and clasp the rectangular loop 0 of the neck-band.

The operatin g-leverG ot' the device is formed of suitable-size wire bent upon itself in the middle of its length, and coiled adjoining 'to the ends thereof to form a cylindrical bearing, g, adapted to receive the wire of the neckband, and is placed upon said neck-band between the side branches of its rectangular loop e.

The ends g of the wire forming the optrating-leverG project inwardly toward the neck of the bottle a sufficient distance to engage with the lower loop of the link fand force it from its seat under the neck-band when the bottle is to be opened.

The lever G is curved in such manner that its concave surface engages with the linkfin closing the bottle, and facilitates its transfer under the loop of the neck-band, and as it re mains secured against the side of the bottle by its ends 9 its outer surface is convex and smooth, and has no projection to cause it to he accidentally turned outward.

I11 closing the bottle the stopperplug is placed over the bottle-mouth, the free end of the lever G is passed through the lower loop of the linkf, and said lever is pressed downward, the link sliding upon the concave side ,1 of the lever until it rests upon the convex cydi'ndrical portion of the bearing 9 thereof, and

Having now fully described my invention, I claim- 1. A bottle-stopping device composed of an elastic plug having in the middle of its length a collar adapted to rest upon the edge of a bottle-mouth, a head above said collar, and a neck thereunder, said head and neck being formed with the same periphery and provided with a conical recess, 1), being adapted for use alternately, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a bottle-stopping device, the combination of an elastic plug perforated through the center thereof, and havinga collar adapted to rest upon the edge of a bottle-mouth, a head projecting above said collar, and under said collar a neck provided with a central conical recess, with a metal cap adapted to cover the head of the stopper, and provided with a shank passing through the stopper.

3.- In a bottle-stopping device, the combination of an elastic plug perforated through the center thereof, and having a central collar adapted to rest upon the edge of a bottlemouth, and two ends adapted to be used and each one inserted alternately within said bottie, with a metal cap adapted to cover either end of the plug, and .the shank of said cap passing through the stopper, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of a bottle neck-band consisting of a wire bent and twisted to form a vertical looped branch upon one side and a loop, 0, upon the other,with a stopper-capprovided with cars 0 a link,f, permanently sccured to one of the ears and adapted to engage with the under side of the loop 6 of the neckband, and a lever, G, pivoted upon the neckband and consisting of wire bent and coiled to form a bearing adapted to engage with the loop 0, and present a convex surface for the linkf to slide over, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of a bottle neck-band having a looped branch upon one side and a loop, e, upon the other,with a stopper-cap provided with cars, a link,f, permanently secured to one of the ears and adapted to engage under the loop 6, and a lever, G, constructed to form a bearing. adapted to engage with the loop 0 and present a convex surface for the link f to slide over,with projection g, substantially as and for the purpose described.

GEORGE S. NORRIS.

- Witnesses:

G. W. NoRRIs, R. H. NoRRIs. 

